A New Beginning
by TwiHearts.Emily
Summary: As the gang gathers to celebrate Zuko's 21st birthday, Katara and Zuko find themselves both newly single. As they offer each other support, they in turn grow closer and realize there may have always been something lingering there between them. A scorned Mai, seeing the blossoming relationship between the two, turns to an old ally for help.


"Welcome, young Avatar!" Iroh exclaimed happily as Aang floated from atop Appa to greet the old general.

"Thanks for the invite, Iroh!" His smile beaming brightly as he brought the old man into a warm embrace.

"My have you grown! It has been much too long since your last visit!" Iroh commented, Aang now a head taller with a faint beard growing about his thin jaw line. His child-like features had melted off in the few years since the end of the war; his cheek bones were much more defined and framed by a firm, sharp jaw.

"I agree. I wish I had more time to make visits, but maintaining peace and all…" He began as Iroh lifted a gentle hand, his kind smile surfacing once again.

"Say no more. What matters is that you are here now." He said turning the Avatar towards the path to the Fire Nation Palace. Aang was in step next to the general as servants tended to Appa, taking the large loveable creature to the stables to be groomed and fed. "Zuko will be thrilled you made it for his 21st Birthday celebration."

"How is Zuko doing?" Aang asked with warm curiosity, his eyes scanning the beautiful scenery ahead of him, his expression one of peace.

"Zuko, I'm afraid, has yet to learn when to take a break himself. Seeing his friends will be a good bit of fun for him." Iroh's arms were crossed delicately together in front of his round belly. "Speaking of friends, where is the rest of the gang? I assumed that, at the least, Lady Katara would be accompanying you."

Aang slowed his pace only slightly, but it was enough that Iroh noticed, his curiosity peaking. His hand went to the back of his neck as he rubbed awkwardly.

"Well, she decided to head back to the South Pole a few months ago. Last I heard she was at Kyoshi Island. She'll be coming with Sokka and Suki." Iroh nodded in understanding.

"Trouble in paradise?" He asked casually as Aang sighed sadly.

"I guess you could say that. Katara and I decided to take a break – or, well, _she_ decided."

"Perhaps the distance will make the heart grow fonder." Iroh suggested, but Aang shook his head lowly.

"The distance is what caused problems in the first place." A short sarcastic snicker left Aang's mouth at his confession. "Maybe she just needs time, I don't know. This will be the first time I've seen her in months."

"Well, young Avatar, love is like water. We can fall in it, we can drown in it, but we can't live without it!" Aang smiled happily as he patted the old man's back.

"You said it, Iroh."

* * *

Later that night, Toph arrived to the palace aboard an Earth Kingdom ship. Time had grown the once young child into a beautiful young woman. She was as tall as most grown men, her pin straight sleek black hair now grown past her shoulders with a royal green headband to keep it at bay. She still traveled without shoes, her bare feet one with the earth below it. Her cheeks were now defined, revealing her natural feminine features. Her friends looked at her proudly; the youngest of the group was now a young adult.

When Sokka and Suki arrived on their ship early the next morning, Zuko had the morning off and was able to greet the last of his honored guests. He stood with his hands firmly behind his back, his posture emanating royalty and discipline. Zuko's hair had grown out and was now lying easily on his square shoulders, some of the sleek locks brought up into a perfect topknot, held high by his highly esteemed crown. He watched as Sokka barreled down the ramp of the ship, a large smile on his face.

Sokka's hair was back in its warrior tail style, the sides of his head shaved. A small bit of facial hair hung from his sturdy chin as he ran into Toph's outstretched arms.

"Hey there Snoozles!" She exclaimed happily as he squeezed her tightly. He pulled back and looked into her milky green eyes as she pulled her arm back to give him a solid punch to the arm.

"Good to see you Toph!" His voice cracked when her fist connected to his bicep, his hand immediately caressing the throbbing area.

Suki was close behind, her neck now adorned with a beautiful blue betrothed necklace. Her eyes sparkled in joy as she embraced with Toph, Sokka now hugging the old general.

"Zuko! Long time no see, you look good!" He said grasping the Fire Lord into his arms. Zuko snickered, his lips curving up as Sokka patted him hard on the back. "Got any food? I'm starving!"

"Sokka, we _just_ ate a few hours ago." Suki reminded in between her hug with Iroh.

"He is still a growing boy! He needs all the food he can get!" Iroh exclaimed merrily as Sokka turned to him with his chest puffed out.

"What boy, Iroh? I'm no boy, I'm 20 years old!" Sokka tried to deepen his voice, but the strain caused his chest to deflate back to normal. Suki snickered before giving the Fire Lord a quick embrace.

"We have prepared a feast for your arrival, Sokka; I knew to be prepared." Zuko commented as Sokka's face turned dreamy.

"Feast?" He whispered happily. He jerked his head towards the ship, his hand cupping the side of his mouth. "Katara! Get a move on, we got a feast to go to!" He shouted impatiently as Zuko's gaze turned to the ship.

"I'm coming, Sokka! If you hadn't made such a mess, maybe I wouldn't have had to clean it up!" Her sharp voice cut harshly through his testy shouts. Sokka's face turned sheepish as he turned back towards the group, broken laughter awkwardly escaping him.

"Heh heh…girls." He shrugged, moving past the general and Zuko. He quickly grabbed Suki's hand and began guiding her towards the palace. "We'll start heading up. See you guys soon!" Sokka hurried from his sister's fury as she appeared at the top of the ramp.

Zuko watched as she smiled warmly, her eyes meeting his. He couldn't stop the smile from forming on his lips; time had done wonders for the Waterbender. Her hips swayed with her walk, her blue water tribe dress hugging her curves in all the right places. Her legs were bare under her dress, something she did when she knew she would be in the high temperatures of the Fire Nation Capital. Everything about her was more defined; her cheek bones, her jaw, her nose, even her hair had grown. Her eyes, if even possible, seemed more vibrant. It made Zuko's stomach do flips and he had to divert his eyes to the ground momentarily to regain composure. He noticed Toph's lips curve up at his reaction and he cursed himself for not controlling his emotions.

Katara floated towards Toph and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Zuko watched her, the radiant smile on her face hinting at just how long it must have been since the old friend's had seen each other. Even Toph seemed to relish in the hug, her eyes closing tightly as a small smile graced her lips.

"Toph it's so good to see you! You look great!" She complimented the young earthbender as a small flush graced Toph's face.

"Thanks sweetness. I wish I could say the same for you." Toph teased light heartedly as Katara giggled. "It _feels_ like you've done some growing though."

Katara ran her hand down Toph's hair before turning to Iroh. He enveloped the small woman into his large arms as she melted into his warm embrace.

"Iroh, it's been too long." Her genuine words melted the old man's heart as he pulled her away, his arms fastened on hers as he did a once over of the grown woman.

"You have grown into a fine young woman, Katara. If possible, you manage to grow more radiant each time I see you." He commented confidently as Katara's face reddened appreciatively.

"Thank you Iroh." She said sheepishly. She turned her head towards Zuko and then to Toph, a worried glance landing back on the old man in front of her. "Aang couldn't make it?" She asked quietly as Iroh squeezed her arms gently.

"He had to attend a meeting with some of the Fire Nation Councilmen. It was able to free Zuko's schedule so he may greet his guests." He commented matter-of-factly as Katara turned to Zuko, a smile stretching across her delicate face. Iroh turned to Toph and extended his arm to her.

"Come Toph, accompany an old man to breakfast, before Sokka eats the entire feast!" Toph gave Iroh a sightless knowing glance, a small huff leaving her lips as she turned, tucking her hand in the general's arm.

"And just when it was about to get good." She whined, their figures eventually disappearing in the distance.

Katara looked at the Fire Lord, her eyes wandering on his aged features. He was dressed in heavy robes, concealing most of his toned body. She sighed in frustration. When her eyes met his again, he looked at her curiously.

"Disappointed?" He asked self-consciously, but she just smiled and shook her head.

"No. You just look different, is all." She commented, her hands flicking the sleeve of his robes. "I'm used to you not wearing so much clothing. And shaggy hair." She twirled a finger casually on a lock of his long hair, her smiled widening at the memories she had been left with by Zuko. When he didn't look convinced, she jumped into his unexpected arms, her arms wrapping firmly around his neck as his went to her waist. Her nose found its way to his neck as she let his scent fill her. She hadn't realized how much she missed it. Zuko's nose nestled into Katara's hair, also consumed in her scent. They stayed in each other's arms for many long moments, just happy to be together again. She reluctantly pulled away, her arms remaining on his broad shoulders, his on her hips.

"It's good to see you again, Zuko. You've really grown." A hint of sadness was in her words as Zuko's smile slightly faltered. Duties had pulled them in opposite directions, and finding time to visit grew more and more difficult. It was a poor excuse, but an unfortunate truth.

"I'm glad you're here Katara. I've missed you." He confessed sadly as her hand went to his scarred cheek, as it so often did.

"I missed you too."

In all the time that had passed, Katara was still the only person allowed to so freely touch Zuko's scarred face. He even had reservations about Mai doing it, but sometimes it was unavoidable. It only felt right when Katara touched it; she somehow had an understanding for it that no one else did.

"How are things? Fire Lord duties…Mai…you guys getting married anytime soon?" She asked curiously, her stomach tightening in anticipation for his answer. Zuko turned to the path and held his arm out for Katara. As she took it, he sighed.

"Fire Lord duties are still the same headache they have always been. Things are a bit easier now though that a new order has been established. My love life…well, it hasn't had the same success unfortunately." His eyes wandered to the ground anxiously as Katara's eyes darted to him.

"What do you mean?" She didn't mean to sound hopeful, but she knew there was a hint of eagerness in her voice when she asked.

"We are on an 'off' time right now."

"I'm sorry." Zuko shrugged.

"I'm okay with it; but you _are_ right, marriage is going to be an issue soon. I've been getting pressure from the nobles about it a lot lately, and it doesn't instill much confidence when the possible future Fire Lady keeps dumping you every other week."

"I can imagine." Katara agreed. In truth, she never thought Mai had been right for Zuko. Zuko needed someone to pull him out of his brooding, isolated states, not push him further into it. She could see Zuko was tense about the subject, so she tried to shed light on her own failed relationship. "Aang and I, we're on a break too."

Zuko's momentary distraction was suddenly snapped to Katara, his body going momentarily rigid, but passing by so quickly Katara convinced herself she imagined it. Her face fell slightly at the failure of her seemingly perfect relationship with Aang. Everyone had expected them to get married in the near future and that realization made it all harder. It had been simple really; it wasn't a lack of trying, a lack of chemistry. When they had gotten together after the invasion, it was like the spark had finally been ignited in Katara. They spent 3 happy years together, growing together and forming a life together. She has always understood Aang's duties as the Avatar, and that (while he would change it if he could) the world always had to come before her. It hadn't become a problem until his extended trips became more frequent and each took longer for him to come home. Katara followed him at first, traveling and mending issues and solving problems; but it wasn't a life she wanted anymore. She wanted roots again, a solid place she could call home where she could make a difference while also having something for herself. But slowly over time, that spark fizzled away and the connection of being lovers was gone. Aang was her best friend, but she came to realize he was nothing more than that anymore.

"Since when?" Her eyes fluttered as his words broke through her thoughts.

"A few months ago." A wave of sadness overtook her, and she had to quickly shake it from her mind.

"Why didn't you write me?" She could hear the tone of his voice, an accusation of sorts, as to why she felt she couldn't talk to him about it, or confide in him. She just snickered quietly, her lips curving up crookedly.

"Why didn't _you_ write _me_?" Zuko was guilty of keeping her in the dark as well, and with that, he had no response. "I've been dealing with it; I'm fine now...are you?"

"The more often she breaks up with me, the less it hurts each time. I don't know if it's because I'm used to it and I know we'll eventually get back together, or because I'm starting to care less and less about her each time it happens. It's exhausting. But…I feel obligated, I guess, to my country mostly. They want me married and let's face it; I don't have much luck when it comes to women. Maybe I should just take what I can get."

"You're an idiot." Katara's voice was barely a whisper when Zuko turned his head so his ear was angled better towards her.

"What?"

Suddenly she stopped, her feet planted firmly as her face fell in anger. "I said you're an idiot!" She said clearly and loudly, crossing her arms over her budding chest. Zuko looked shocked as he stopped and faced her, taking in her rigid frame in confusion.

"Wha-" He began as she stormed up to him, pointing a finger to his firm chest.

"Now you listen to me, Zuko! You're a _fool _if you think you wouldn't be a catch for ANY woman in the world! You're smart, you're strong, you're loyal, you're handsome…" She was practically shouting in his face before she heard the last word escape her mouth, and with a flush of red splashing awkwardly across her face, she stepped back and tried to collect herself. "You shouldn't settle is all I'm saying. You deserve to be with someone who treats you right, and loves you…and someone _you_ love back." Her voice was much calmer and quieter, but was still as confident and sure as she had been when she was yelling.

Zuko was frozen, his heart pounding in his chest. Katara's words sunk in, but he couldn't help but explore a deeper meaning to them; if there was one. Was she referring to herself? The thought made his stomach flip in wonder. He shook the thought quickly; this was _Katara_. They were friends, if not best friends, they were both heartbroken and both of their emotions were running high.

He saw Katara shift uncomfortably, probably due to his lack of response, but before he would let her feel any more discomfort, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, his face pressed into her shoulder. Her arms just moments later did the same, taking in his strong form as his lips grazed her ear before she felt his hot breath on her skin. Chills found their way down her spine as she sighed contently.

"Thank you."

Her arms tightened in response as they held each other quietly. Zuko was first to pull away as he kept his hands on Katara's arms, looking into her deep blue eyes.

"Now, you came here for a party. So let's stop dwelling on this sad stuff and take advantage of the time you're here and have fun." The smile on his face was contagious as Katara returned a brilliant one of her own, nodding her head happily before turning back with the Fire Lord's arm to enter the palace and join their friends in the feast.

* * *

Aang had stayed busy for the better part of the day and as a result, managed to avoid Katara. The more he thought about seeing her, the more nervous he got. There were so many unanswered questions that needed to be addressed and the more time that passed between getting them, the more Aang feared it would be too late to salvage what little could be left of their relationship. He just couldn't bring himself to confront her.

Aang belonged to the world; it was something he struggled with since the moment he learned he was the Avatar. Going through the war had helped him accept what he is. The hardest part was having to let go of Katara – even for those short moments of being in the Avatar state; because it meant that, for a time, they were both fine without the other. Aang knew his duties would constantly force him to choose the world over her and what made him love her that much more was that Katara understood and accepted that. But somewhere along the way, something changed. It was little things at first, things that Aang realizes more looking back at _now_ then he did at the time.

He'd be lying to himself if he said he hadn't realized Katara was unhappy, especially the few months leading up to her departure – he hadn't been surprised when she finally decided to part from him and go back to the South Pole. _Why_ she was unhappy was another matter entirely. He told himself it was his travels and that she was tired of being dragged around the world. He refused to accept it was anything deeper than that. The world was getting back on its feet however, and he had faith that once his travels slowed they could find a home together and settle down for good.

When Aang had nothing else to distract him from joining the others in the palace, he decided to sit with Appa in his stable, petting his large friend with affection.

"I don't know what to do, boy. I don't know when a good time is to talk to her. It all feels _wrong_, I can't explain it."

Appa merely snorted and continued snacking on his lettuce as Aang peered back towards the palace, the setting sun casting magnificent rays of color along the stone architecture. He sighed, knowing they would be serving dinner soon and that he could no longer avoid the inevitable. He stood and brushed his pants off before taking one last deep breath.

"Well, here goes nothing."

* * *

Katara was unpacking her bags in the room she had been given – a room big enough to house an entire village. She looked around, amazed at the sight. The room was no exception to the grandeur of the palace. The floor was a smooth tan marble, the surface polished to perfection. The far wall held a large floor length window, partially hidden behind deep red curtains trimmed with gold. Her eyes traveled up to dozens of rich wooden beams lining the ceiling artfully, reflecting the wooden panels along the bare walls in the room. In the center of it all, on a raised platform was a majestic golden-framed bed. The sturdy structure was adorned with red silk spreads, a gold trim shimmering back at Katara. She wondered if all of the guest rooms were this grand or if Zuko had just given her the best one; she smiled at that thought.

Katara was shaken from her admiration at the sound of erratic pounding on her door. The noise made her jump out of her thoughts before she rolled her eyes in annoyance, knowing very well whose knock that belonged to.

"Sokka! You scared me half to death!" She scolded, swinging the door open.

"Common, Katara, it's time for dinner!" Sokka exclaimed, bouncing impatient excitement. Katara put her hand to her hip and couldn't refrain from rolling her eyes again. Suki laughed and patted Sokka on his shoulder.

"Go ahead Sokka, we'll catch up." Not a second after she spoke, Sokka was out of sight.

"And you're _sure_ you want to marry that?" Katara asked teasingly as Suki laughed, leaning against the doorframe.

"As sure as I'll ever be." Suki watched as Katara smiled, but realized it was half heartedly. Ever since they had gotten word of Zuko's celebration, Katara had been off – like her mind was always somewhere else. It didn't take long for Suki to figure out why. "Are you nervous – to see Aang?"

Katara bit her lip slightly, her head lowering at the reminder and nodded. She sighed, leaning against the opposite side of the door frame and crossed her arms.

"I don't know what I'm going to say. When I left, we didn't really talk about anything. I think he's still under the impression we're just on a break." Katara knew it was her fault too, for not making her feelings clear last year when she started realizing she didn't belong with Aang, or a few months ago when she left.

"So you're sure you want to break things off for good? Sokka and I assumed that once you had some time apart that you would eventually end up back together." Her confession didn't surprise Katara; most people _assumed_ she and Aang would stay together forever.

"I've known for awhile now – I know I didn't handle this situation well, and I'm probably going to pay for that this weekend."

"This is your first serious relationship, Katara, _no one_ knows how to handle breakups. You just have to be honest with him – he needs to know the truth so he can start moving on too."

Katara nodded as Suki patted her arm.

"You'll be fine. Common, let's go to dinner."

"You go ahead – I'll catch up in a second."

Suki smiled and headed towards the dining hall as Katara turned back to her room, her heart pounding in anticipation. She had managed to remain calm through the day, but she realized it was probably because she hadn't seen Aang yet. She _would_ see him at dinner, and she suddenly felt very anxious. She took a few calming breaths, and when she had herself a little more under control, she headed to dinner.

Katara walked quickly to the dining hall, convincing herself that she would feel better being surrounded by her friends if she could just avoid Aang a bit longer. Just as she reached the door, and a moment of relief washed over her, she bumped roughly into a body to her left. The orange and yellow clothes caught her eye immediately and her stomach dropped so quickly it made her feel nauseous. Her painful groan was caught in her throat as her body went completely rigid, her eyes locked on Aang's straightened form.

"Katara! I'm sorry, are you okay?" He asked quickly, still unable to move from his spot. She nodded quickly and tried to smile but she knew she must have looked ridiculous.

"Fine. I'm fine – are you?" Katara couldn't help but feel a little ridiculous at how awkward she was being around him. She tried to tell herself to relax – this was _Aang_ after all, he was still the same person she's always known.

"I'm okay." They stood there in an awkward silence for what felt like an eternity – Aang rubbed the back of his neck while Katara rubbed her arm. She decided to take the first step, hoping to put an end to the tension.

"It's good to see you."

Aang looked to her softened face and knew the words were genuine. He smiled and Katara couldn't help but to smile back.

"You too, Katara."

There was silence again, but this time it wasn't uncomfortable. Aang took a step forward, words about to spill from his mouth when Toph's slender form barreled forward.

"Move it or lose it, Twinkletoes! Time to eat!"

Katara couldn't help but chuckle at Toph's abrasive personality before following them inside.

The Fire Nation dining room was grand and majestic, much like the rest of the royal residence. The room itself pulsed a subtle hue of gold, accenting a large rich mahogany table barely propping itself off the floor in the center of a large pillar filled room. Surrounding the sturdy structure were large red silk pillows accented by golden thread and frills, soft enough to keep one comfortable for extended periods of time. Each of these seats currently held family and friends alike, all laughing and talking joyfully in each other's company. Zuko sat at the head of the table, his uncle to his left and Katara sitting to his right. Her brother Sokka sat next to her, his mouth already stuffed full of food as his fiancé Suki pressed her lips to his bulging cheek. Across from Suki sat Ty Lee who was speaking animatedly to Toph who kept pulling a distracted Aang into their conversation. Zuko smiled happily, pulling himself away from his conversation with his Uncle and Katara to rise to his friends.

"I just wanted to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules, and traveling the great distances you did to be here with me on my birthday. I am truly honored to have such great friends. It has been far too long since we have all had a chance to spend time together and I hope everyone enjoys their time in the Fire Nation."

"With no one trying to kill us this time, how could we not?!" Sokka bellowed before taking a large bite out of his boar-q-pine leg.

A few snickers escaped as Zuko rose his glass in agreement. To finish the toast, Zuko ended it as simply as he could.

"To a fun weekend with great friends."

"And to Zuko's birthday." Katara added, rising her glass into the air higher. Zuko smiled appreciatively as everyone joined to raise their glass in the toast. Zuko sat back down and looked at the lively room – these people, who he had grown to love dearly, were his family, and his joy went beyond words that they were finally able to be together again.

After dinner, everyone took no hurry in rushing to bed. They were still in the dining room, except they had taken the pillows from around the table and had made a more intimate circle in one of the corners of the hall. Toph and Sokka took turns passing a bottle of fire whisky between the two, assuring it would liven up the conversation while the other declined. Still, the laughter in the room was contagious as everyone in the group went around telling stories from the past 5 years of their lives.

It was nearing midnight when a few outlandish comments from Sokka resulted in the group deciding it was time to call it a night. Suki wound her arm around her intoxicated fiancé and stumbled with him to their room as Ty Lee jogged after them to lend Suki her assistance. Katara stood and ran her hands down the front of her dress to straighten it back out as Toph stood on wobbly feet. Katara caught the young woman in her arms and giggled.

"Looks like you had a bit too much too, Toph. Common, I'll help you to your room."

"I'm fine sweetness, I can walk myself." Toph reassured unconvincingly as she stumbled further, causing Katara to put her arm around the earth bender. Once she had the girl under control, Aang cleared his throat and it halted any movement she was about to make.

"Uh, Katara, could I talk to you for a minute – outside?" Aang kept eye contact with Katara, but she could see the courage he had built up to ask her. Her eyes wandered momentarily, landing briefly upon Zuko whose gaze was settled on her.

"Do you think this is the best time, Aang?" She asked softly. She knew having this conversation now could potentially ruin the festivities and above all else, Katara just wasn't ready to have this talk.

"Go! Talk, I'll be fine!" Toph urged but making no attempt to move from Katara's grasp

Aang's eyes were pleading and the look of rejection on his face made Katara's stomach sink. She just thanked the gods neither of them had drank, they didn't need anything else making this situation more uncomfortable.

"Please?" She couldn't deny him as he stood there looking at her like that, so she nodded and looked back to Zuko with pleading eyes of her own.

"Zuko, could you?" A gentle smile graced his lips as he took Toph's arm and guided her towards her room. Katara stood for a few moments watching them before following Aang out into the humid night.

Aang rubbed the back of his neck nervously as Katara stopped a short distance from the young man, her hands folded delicately in front of her. She waited patiently as Aang searched for the right words. When a long moment of silence passed them, Katara began to speak, trying to make it easier for him.

"Aang, I'm sorr-"

"No Katara, listen, I've been thinking about what I would say to you for the past few months – trying to figure out how to fix things between us and I just don't know how, because I don't know what you want. But I'm sorry, for whatever I did I'm sorry and – "

"It's not that simple." Katara's voice was weak as she prepared to break the young airbender's heart. There would be no easy way to do it, and it killed her to _have_ to do it, but she couldn't leave him hoping things would go back to the way they had once been.

"What do you mean it's not that simple? It IS that simple, I love you, what more is there?"

"I know you love me Aang, and I love you too, but you can't tell me you haven't felt the distance between us growing the past year."

"I have, and I know it's because I'm always gone, because I always have to go somewhere but I'm trying. If I could give it up for you Katara, I would, you _know _that. I never wanted to be the Avatar in the first place! I thought you understood that better than anyone." She could hear the hurt in his voice as he spoke the words.

"I do Aang, and it's not that. One of the things I love most about you is that you are always willing to help others, and I know you would be that way Avatar or not. Sometimes, love just fizzles and – "

"No! Love doesn't just go away like that; it goes away when they stop _trying_!"

Katara closed her eyes. She had tried to prepare herself for this conversation, for his accusations and his anger to come out at her, but no amount of preparation could dull the blow. She just hoped she didn't lose his friendship too.

"I didn't stop trying." She whispered carefully, knowing if he continued on this path things would get ugly.

"How can you say that? This relationship has been one sided for so long – I had to try so hard just to get you to _talk_ to me. I didn't even know you were unhappy! You didn't even give me the benefit of letting me know, I had to figure it out for myself. You just gave up and left! I could have fixed it before it got this bad."

"It's not that simple!" Katara said for the second time that night, her patience now running thin with the young monk. "It's in your nature to _fix_ things but you can't just fix this. It's not that easy! When we first got together, it was great Aang, I truly was happy – during the war, I constantly thought about how it would change our friendship if we crossed that line, and I was relieved when the transition had been so easy. But something was still missing; we were traveling so much and always focused on the next job that I never had the chance to sit back and figure it out. We were doing so much good for others and things were slowly getting better around the world, but our problems always hung in the shadows, being ignored because we had more important things to worry about. That's when I started withdrawing, when I realized my feelings and relationships _should _be just as important. I was helping so many people but I still felt so incomplete."

"I don't understand, what's missing then?"

Katara closed her eyes letting a calming breath escape her lips as she prepared herself for the final, unfortunate blow.

"I thought all kinds of love were the same Aang, but I was wrong. I love you, as I always have, but what I realized was that I am not IN love with you."

Katara watched as Aang's face fell. He quickly turned his back to her, his shoulders steadily rising and falling as he tried to regain control of his emotions.

"I'm sorry."

"Why did you even bother then? Why did you string me along for so long if you knew this the whole time?"

"I didn't – I would never do that to you."

"I worshiped you. I would have done anything for you! You'll never find anyone else who loves you as unconditionally as I do."

"Maybe not, but I can't lie to myself anymore. I really wanted this to work, but somewhere along the way, this became something I _had_ to do instead of something I _wanted_ to do. I need my own identity Aang, and I can't have that with you…I can't be "the Avatar's girlfriend" anymore."

"That sounds incredibly selfish."

At that, Katara finally lost her temper. Tears glazed her eyes as she stormed in front of Aang.

"Me? Selfish?! I gave up my childhood to take care of my tribe! I gave up five years of my life to helping others during and after the war! I've always taken care of someone else, given up something for someone else – why do I have to feel guilty about wanting to be selfish just ONCE?! Am I not allowed to have my own happiness just because it's not with you?! I'm sorry I broke your heart, I truly am. I never wanted to hurt you, but I can't do this anymore!"

As if the world was reacting to Katara's emotions, rain showered down from the skies, doing quick work in drenching the two benders. Katara's tears meshed with the rain as her body shook in anger.

Aang turned and stormed off towards the palace, leaving Katara behind in the rain. She could feel the anger and hurt rolling off him and it made her own anger subside. Suddenly, she regretted her outburst and ran after him.

"Aang, wait! Please, we need to resolve this!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Aang walked swiftly through the palace, Katara trailing behind him, not yet feeling secure enough to approach him. Aang walked with a purpose until he found his glider that he had discarded earlier, propped in the corner of the dining room hall. Katara's protective instinct kicked in as she ran to grab at Aang's arm.

"Don't run away from this Aang, talk to me!" She pleaded desperately as he popped open the glider. He jerked out of her grasp and headed to the balcony that, on a normal day, would have given view to a beautiful scene that overlooked the Fire Nation. Aang used it as his escape. With Katara close behind him, he took off in a sprint and in moments was in air, flying into the thunderous night. "Aang stop!"

Katara's yell was lost on the young man as a flash of lightning outlined his fleeting form before he disappeared into the darkness. Her emotions consumed her all at once; despair, anger, regret, guilt – her chest tightened as she whimpered pathetically on the stone balcony, the rain enveloping her in its fury. She wrapped her arms around her frail form, bending down so her chest was over her legs as her back heaved painfully up and down to her broken sobs.

* * *

She could have been like that for hours for all she knew before she felt a pair of warm hands huddle around her body. The form shielded her already soaking figure from the downpour and gently pulled her up to a sitting position.

"_Katara."_

"Katara."

"**Katara!"**

The raspy voice finally cut through the storm and caught her attention as she looked up weakly. Her swollen blue eyes met a pair of concerned golden ones as his voice started becoming clearer.

"Katara are you okay?"

She shook her head sadly, her eyes shutting on the tears that threatened to escape. His warm hands found her face, gently pulling it up so she would look at him again.

"What happened?"

Her eyes opened to his soft voice as her face finally broke. He could feel her body beginning to shake more rapidly as tears fell freely down her cheeks.

"I'm a terrible person." She whispered through chattering teeth as he leaned into her, trying to better hear her.

"What?"

"I can't love him the way he wants me to."

Saying the words re-broke her heart as she grasped Zuko's hands, pulling them away from her face. She was angry at herself, but should she be? It wasn't her fault she didn't reciprocate his feelings – she _had_ tried, after all, and he ran off – again. Her chagrin shifted onto the airbender as the events replayed in her head.

"Why does he always run away?! I shouldn't have to feel guilty about this – I can't force myself to – this isn't fair! He's going to hurt himself and if he does I'll never forgive – I should have _never_ – "

"He just needs some time, Katara. He'll be fine."

Katara shook her head, exhaustion finally overpowering her senses, and collapsed into Zuko's chest. She was so out of it that the next thing she knew, she was in Zuko's arms, gently swaying to his footsteps as he carried her through the palace halls. It took her until this point to realize he wasn't wearing a shirt and it caused her stomach to flip. She would have felt awkward, had it not been for the inviting body heat rolling off his skin. Without making the conscious decision to do it, she found herself cuddling into his body as closely as she could. She felt Zuko stiffen slightly, but that could have been a reaction to her ice cold hands making contact with his chest. It gave her little reassurance she wasn't stepping over her boundaries when she felt his grip tighten around her and the warmth pooling off his body heating up just a bit more; something she decided he had done for her benefit.

Soon they were to Katara's door, and Zuko managed to open it with her limp body still in his arms. He walked confidently through the dark as if knowing the room by heart – but perhaps he knew his whole palace by heart. He placed her on a large ottoman at the foot of the bed and when his hands were free, lit the sconces to give the room dim lighting. Katara opened her eyes weakly to see a separate room lit where Zuko must have disappeared to. The room was warm, but she was still soaking wet and it caused her body to shiver, her teeth chattering aggressively. Zuko emerged with a large fluffy towel in his hands, but Katara could only focus on his half naked form. It had been years since she had seen him without his shirt on – and that had been when he was a young teenager. He had always had muscle, but he had been rather skinny during the war. But now, the boy she once knew looked downright scrawny compared to _this_ Zuko. She shook the thoughts from her head quickly as he stopped in front of her – she had _just_ had a huge fight with her ex-boyfriend, and here she was ogling her best friend. Suddenly she had another reason to feel guilty and she internally scolded herself, stressfully rubbing a hand over her tired eyes.

"Katara, are –"

"I'm sorry. This is supposed to be your birthday celebration, and I'm ruining that now too."

She completely buried her face into her hands and pressed her elbows to her knees, sitting there in hopes she would disappear. She had inadvertently made this weekend about her and Aang, when it was supposed to be about Zuko.

"You haven't ruined anything, so you have nothing to apologize for."

She felt the towel wrap over her back before he sat next to her, his arm finding its way around her shoulders as he pressed her against him once again. She removed her hands but could not meet his gaze.

"Were things this bad for you when you and Mai broke up?"

"The first few times, yes. Worse, actually. The first time we broke up, I was so angry I accidently lit my bed on fire."

Katara couldn't stifle her chuckle as she pictured Zuko panicking in front of his now burning bed. She straightened up, now that the mood had lightened a bit, and leaned against the Fire Lord appreciatively, also seeing he had dried himself off with his internal heat.

"I didn't think he'd get so angry." There was sadness in her voice as she said the words; she had seen him be the peacemaker so many times before that it escaped her mind he could be anything but calm and understanding. "I think he hates me. I wouldn't blame him if he does."

"He could never hate you Katara. Nobody could. He's just never had his heart broken before; it takes some time to let it settle before you start thinking clearly again. I'm sure once he's calmed down he'll be able to put all of this behind him, and you'll be friends again."

"I hope so."

After a few moments of silence passed, Zuko nudged her softly before pulling the towel around her more completely. If she hadn't been so utterly exhausted, she would have bent the water right off of herself which she assumed he must have guessed.

"You need to dry off; one way you _could_ ruin my birthday is by not being able to come because you're sick." His words were playful as she smiled meekly.

"Sorry, I wouldn't want that. What time _is_ it?"

"The sun will be rising soon – you were out there the better part of the night. I wish I had looked for you sooner."

"Why _were_ you looking for me? I figured everyone had gone to bed." She began ringing her wet hair through the towel, but it was doing little to relieve her of her chills.

"Well, after I took Toph to her room, she mentioned something about bad tension and racing hearts – I didn't really understand her and granted, she was drunk, but it worried me, so I went back to the dining room and waited for awhile. I uh, I didn't mean to ease drop – I wasn't there for too long. When I heard yelling, that's when I went back to my room. After a few hours, and when it started storming, I couldn't stop –" Zuko stopped himself quickly and chose his words differently. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Oh." She whispered, her hands having stopped their work a few minutes ago. She pondered this confession; that, and why her stomach was suddenly fluttering as warmth spread across her cheeks. She turned her head and her eyes fell upon the star shaped scar on his chest. She suddenly got flashes of that day in her mind – Zuko diving in front of her, the bright flash of Azula's lightning connecting with his body, the smell of burning flesh – she shut her eyes tightly pushing the memories away.

Zuko watched her carefully as her eyes fluttered open, looking directly to his chest. He quickly realized what she was looking at, but before he could say anything, her hand moved towards the scar, her soft fingers touching the smoothed, ruined skin lightly.

"I can barely remember us being enemies anymore. It seems like such a distant memory." Her voice was very low as Zuko looked up from her hand, his eyes locking with hers. "You've been there for me so many times – you saved my life," she pressed her hand to his chest firmly and felt his steady heart beat beneath. "_Thank you_, for always being there for me."

As Zuko placed his hand over hers, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his cheek. Zuko felt as if his heart had stopped for the moment her lips were against his skin.

Katara's innocent act of gratitude backfired as she froze in front of Zuko, his sweet aroma catching her off guard. She was instantly aware of his slightly hitched breathing matching her own as Katara hovered a moment longer, a cold chill sobering her to reality. She pulled back too quickly to be casual as she created a comfortable distance between.

"Sorry." She mumbled self-consciously as she put the towel back to her hair in an awkward attempt to compose herself. Zuko snapped out of his own daze as he shook his head quickly, standing as well.

"It's okay – it was – well, you're welcome."

She smiled before turning towards the bathroom.

"The only way I'm going to get dry is by getting out of these clothes, so – " She said turning to him just as she reached the door.

"Right! Yes, well, I'll be going then." He stuttered quickly, making his way to the door. She smiled sweetly as he turned to open the large ornate door in front of him, but stopped half-way out as a thought crossed his mind. "Katara – I took some time off for the next couple of days for my birthday, and well, if you don't have plans tomorrow – or, well, today I guess, if you'd like, I could take you into town. It might be nice to get out of the palace for awhile." Katara smiled at the fact Zuko was still slightly awkward as he spoke to her.

"I would like that very much. Thank you."

He matched her smile with his own as he nodded graciously.

"When I'm done with my morning meetings, I'll come find you."

She nodded in agreement as Zuko closed the door behind him, leaving Katara to her thoughts, which for the first time that night, were not on Aang.


End file.
